Episode 3 of Adolescence begins seven months after the stabbing incident. Jamie Miller is now in custody and has been assigned a series of therapists. The episode focuses on his session with Briony Ariston, his latest therapist, who tries to build rapport with him through a friendly and playful approach. When Briony arrives, she is informed that Jamie recently got into a fight with another inmate. She brings him food and a drink he likes, which helps start the session on a positive note.

Briony subtly steers the conversation by mentioning her grandparents and then Jamie's grandparents, eventually leading to a discussion about the men in his family. Jamie quickly senses that she is trying to trick him into revealing his feelings, and he becomes defensive. Briony reassures him that she is on his side and that her report will help the judge understand his motives better.

As the session progresses, Jamie's mood fluctuates between sincere playfulness and mocking sarcasm. He becomes annoyed when Briony asks about his feelings toward his family and the reasons behind his fight. Briony then reveals that her goal is to explore Jamie's thoughts on masculinity. In this exchange, Jamie admits that his father, Eddie, is an angry man but insists that Eddie is not abusive. He acknowledges tension in their relationship, especially related to sports.

Through their conversation, more details about the crime emerge. Jamie had asked Katie, the classmate he stabbed, out after she sent a nude photo to another student. Katie rejected Jamie and mocked him on Instagram, which contributed to the buildup of events leading to the stabbing. Briony's calm yet probing demeanor encourages Jamie to open up, though he does not provide a full explanation for his actions.

The episode is filmed in a continuous one-take style, emphasizing the intensity and emotional volatility of Jamie's session. The camera work mirrors the restless and unsettled nature of Jamie's mind, with no moment of respite. The interaction between Jamie and Briony reveals his conflicted feelings, his defensive posture, and the complexity of his internal struggles following the murder.

Throughout the episode, Jamie's father Eddie is shown to be inwardly and outwardly enraged, while his mother Manda appears hopeless and overwhelmed. Detectives Bascombe and Frank continue their investigation, and the school community remains affected by the tragedy, though some students are less shocked due to their prior knowledge of the situation.

The episode ends without resolution, leaving Jamie's emotional state and motives ambiguous but providing a deeper understanding of the psychological and familial pressures surrounding him. The focus remains tightly on Jamie's therapy session, capturing every shift in his demeanor and the subtle power dynamics between him and Briony.

At the end of Adolescence Season 1, Episode 3, Jamie calls his father Eddie to tell him he will be changing his plea to guilty in court. This admission is witnessed by Jamie's mother Manda and sister Lisa as well. The family, despite the heavy emotional weight, begins to come to terms with Jamie's indirect confession, marking a somber and tense conclusion to the episode.

The episode's ending unfolds with a series of emotionally charged scenes that reveal the family's fractured state and the gravity of Jamie's situation. It begins with Eddie Miller's 50th birthday, a day that should be celebratory but quickly turns sour. Eddie receives a hand-drawn card from Jamie, a rare moment of warmth, but this is immediately overshadowed when Eddie discovers his van vandalized with the word "nonce" -- a derogatory term accusing him of being a sexual offender -- painted in large yellow letters. This act of vandalism not only enrages Eddie but also prompts Manda, Jamie's mother, to suggest the family consider moving away to escape the hostility in their neighborhood.

Trying to salvage the day, the family decides to go to the movies after a brief stop at a hardware store. However, the visit to the store escalates tensions. A sales clerk, upon learning who Eddie is, makes insensitive comments about Jamie's case, further aggravating Eddie. His frustration boils over when he spots two local kids who had previously mocked him. Believing they are following him, Eddie violently confronts one of the boys, manhandling him and his bicycle. In a fit of rage, Eddie pours blue paint over his own van and gets into a heated argument with the store's security for the mess he creates in the parking lot. This outburst leaves Manda and Lisa visibly shaken, recalling the terror and emotional turmoil that Jamie's situation has inflicted on the family.

The pivotal moment comes on their way home when Jamie calls Eddie. In a quiet but heavy conversation, Jamie reveals that he will be changing his plea to guilty in court. This is not just a private confession; Manda and Lisa overhear the call, making the admission a shared family burden. The episode closes with the family silently processing this news, a moment filled with resignation and the beginning of acceptance of Jamie's culpability.

In terms of character fates at this episode's end:

• Jamie has decided to plead guilty, signaling a shift from denial or defense to acceptance of responsibility.
• Eddie, overwhelmed by anger and despair, lashes out violently but is also deeply affected by the social stigma and the family's unraveling.
• Manda remains a figure of fragile hope, suggesting relocation as a way to escape the toxic environment.
• Lisa, Jamie's sister, is caught in the emotional fallout, witnessing the family's breakdown and her brother's admission.

This ending scene is a culmination of the episode's intense focus on the psychological and social consequences of Jamie's crime, highlighting the fracturing of family bonds under public scrutiny and personal guilt.

There is no post-credit scene in Adolescence, season 1, episode 3. The episode ends with a powerful and emotional scene in Jamie's bedroom where Eddie Miller, Jamie's father, breaks down in tears and tucks Jamie's teddy bear under the covers as a symbolic gesture of apology and loss. This final moment is deeply poignant and serves as the episode's emotional climax, with no additional scenes after the credits.

In episode 3, Jamie, a 13-year-old boy held in detention awaiting trial, is assessed by Briony, a psychologist played by Erin Doherty. Their interaction is intense and mostly takes place around a table, with the camera spinning around them to capture their conversation in real time. Briony tries to gain Jamie's trust by bringing him a sandwich and marshmallows for his hot chocolate, but Jamie remains guarded, slipping between different temperaments and at times implying or admitting guilt before panicking and retracting. The dynamic is complex, with both characters misunderstanding each other to some extent, creating a tense psychological showdown.

Episode 3 reveals that Jamie has been charged with stabbing his classmate Katie to death. Although Jamie insists on his innocence, he inadvertently slips and implies or admits to the killing multiple times during his assessment by Briony. This creates cracks in his story and adds to the psychological tension of the episode.

Episode 3 is filmed as one continuous shot, a technique that enhances the realism and intensity of the story. The camera spins around the table where Jamie and Briony sit, allowing their conversation to unfold naturally and immersively. This one-shot approach contributes to the documentary-like feel of the episode, making the psychological interaction more immediate and harrowing.

During the assessment, Jamie fluctuates between several emotional states: he is at times sweet, sullen, apologetic, and apocalyptic. These shifts mislead Briony and add to the complexity of their interaction, as Jamie manipulates and confuses her while also revealing cracks in his own story.

Briony attempts to build rapport with Jamie by bringing him a sandwich, which he leaves mostly untouched, and by adding marshmallows to his hot chocolate, catering to his preferences. These small gestures are meant to gain his trust and encourage him to open up during the psychological assessment.

The TV show Adolescence (2025), Season 1, Episode 3, is not family friendly and is rated TV-MA, meaning it is intended for mature audiences 17 and older due to its content.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for children or sensitive viewers include:

• References to a horrific murder and related crime drama themes, with some violent scenes such as a stabbing and physical assaults, though most violence is mild and often occurs off-screen or is described rather than shown graphically.
• Severe profanity throughout the series.
• Mild sexual content, including infrequent non-graphic sexual dialogue, mention of nude or half-nude pictures, and a police strip-search scene that is off-screen but verbally described, which could be uncomfortable for younger viewers.
• Moderate frightening and intense scenes, including emotional distress related to social media dangers, teen relationships, and online bullying.
• No depiction of alcohol, drugs, or smoking, but the overall tone is bleak and emotionally heavy, dealing with dark themes around adolescence and digital life.

Because of these mature themes and intense emotional content, the show is best suited for older teens and adults, and parents should exercise caution and consider maturity before allowing younger viewers to watch it.

In the TV show Adolescence, season 1, episode 3 ("Episode 3") produced in 2025, the dog does not die. Viewer reports and trigger warnings on DoesTheDogDie.com confirm that no animals die in this episode, and specifically, no dog death is mentioned or indicated by viewers or official sources.

The episode focuses heavily on the emotional and psychological fallout surrounding Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy charged with the murder of a classmate. The narrative centers on Jamie's interactions with his psychologist and family, exploring themes of trauma, bullying, and knife crime, but there is no plotline involving harm to a dog or any animal death.

Therefore, you can be assured that the dog survives in episode 3 of Adolescence.